CD review: The Roots

WITH a title like And Then You Shoot Your Cousin, you know that the innovative group has come up with yet another classic album.

The previous great project they worked on was the Wake Up project which was done entirely with John Legend on the vocals. Coming back to us with their 11th studio album, The Roots keep it real on this one.

You will not find ’hood tales about the high life, instead it’s a bleak offering that centres on violence. As usual with The Roots, this album comes as a concept project and we follow a bunch of characters who tell the story of life in the black neighbourhoods of America.

If you have a good ear then you will pick up that there are samples of musical greats like Miles Davis and Nina Simone throughout the CD.

Artists who feature include the likes of Raheem DeVaughn, Greg Porn and Dice Raw.

This is simply the thinking man’s music as you don’t really think of all those aspirational things that hip hop always pushes, but instead you hear stories, tragic stories for that matter, which tell of some dark places on this planet. – Munya Vomo